The broad objective of this project is the development of an ultramicromethod for the analysis of prostaglandins and related compounds by chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (CIMS) directly or in conjunction with high performance liquid chromatography HPLC via a novel interface system developed in the principal investigator's laboratory. The interface system is based on the moving wire principle in which the column eluate is collected on a perforated band of special construction; after the solvent is evaporated the sample which remains on the belt is transported into a reactor where it is volatilized into a carrier gas and introduced into a chemical ionization mass spectrometer. Volatilization is effected by evaporation if the compounds are volatile or by converting them to hydrocarbons by reductive degradation. An important phase of the project is to interface a PDP 11/34 computer with the system and develop programs for the identification and quantitative analysis of the prostaglandins. During the course of the work a library of spectra of prostaglandins and related compounds will be established to provide identification and detection of unknown related compounds of similar biological activities. It is proposed to apply the methodology particularly to the biosynthesis of prostaglandins from 22-carbon chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, using kidney and sheep vesicular glands as the source of the enzyme.